UIS holds groundbreaking ceremony for classroom/office building

SPRINGFIELD – The University of Illinois at Springfield
broke ground for a new classroom/office building today in a ceremony attended
by Gov. George H. Ryan and several other dignitaries.With gold shovels in hand, the Governor, U of I President James
J. Stukel, and UIS Chancellor Richard D. Ringeisen turned the first soil for
the$30 million building to be located
just south of the Public Affairs Center.

In his remarks to the gathering, President Stukel said,
“It [the groundbreaking for the classroom building] makes visible the most
basic value of this campus to the state, that is, as educator. We honor
teaching and learning by committing wonderful new space to the thousands of
students who will cross the threshold.”

“…This is not only a groundbreaking, but also affirmation
that a college education, that a University of Illinois education, is a great
investment,” President Stukel said. “On behalf of the University of Illinois –
its past, its present and its future students – I extend profound thanks to
Governor Ryan for his assistance in making this classroom building a reality.”

Construction of the four-story, 125,000 square-foot
building is expected to begin in early December and be completed by summer
2004, according to Dave Barrows, UIS Director of

Physical Planning and
Operations.

The building will house state-of-the-art technology,
including technology-enhanced and

-more-

smart classrooms, computer
labs, lecture halls, and academic program offices. The offices of Admissions
and Records and other key student affairs offices will also be located in the
building.Two of UIS’ four colleges –
the College of Business & Management and the College of Liberal Arts &
Sciences -- will also relocate to the building, although some LAS programs will
remain in their current locations.

Chancellor Ringeisen said the building will be the first
point of welcome for prospective students, the most technically advanced
building on campus, and the future hub and heart of UIS.

“It will contribute further to the formation of a campus
quadrangle and the development of more green space, where students can gather
and take part in activities, and have a more collegial environment in which to
study and socialize,” Chancellor Ringeisen said. “And, because this building
enhances our permanent structures on campus, UIS will be able to compete more
effectively for students from throughout the state and, indeed, the nation.

It will certainly help us build our image as one of the
best small public liberal arts universities anywhere, with professional
programs and our traditional emphasis on public affairs.”

Chancellor Ringeisen thanked Governor Ryan “for making the
identification of this building a priority of your administration.Without your strong and effective support
and that of our legislative delegation, we would not be gathering here today
for this groundbreaking ceremony.” He also thanked President Stukel for his
personal support and great interest in the development of the Springfield
campus.

The new building will allow consolidation of most academic
programs into permanent buildings in the center of campus and will help
alleviate a problem of overcrowding that has existed at UIS for several years,
particularly in the evenings when 65% of UIS students attend classes.

Other buildings located on the quadrangle are Brookens
Library, 201,000 square feet, completed in January 1976; the Public Affairs
Center, 195,000 square feet, completed in October 1980; and the Health &
Sciences Building, 57,000 square feet, completed in January 1992.